# Silvio Fauner

Silvio Fauner (born 1 November 1968 in San Pietro di Cadore, Province of Belluno) is an Italian former cross-country skier who competed from 1988 to 2006. His best known victory was part of the 4 × 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. He also won four other medals at the Winter Olympics with silvers in the 4 × 10 km relay (1992, 1998) and bronzes in the 15 km (1994) and 30 km (1998).

## Biography

Fauner also won six medals at the Nordic skiing World Championships, including 1 gold (50 km: 1995), 2 silvers (10 km + 15 km combined pursuit: 1995, 4 × 10 km relay: 1993), and 3 bronzes (4 × 10 km relay: 1995, 1997, 1999).
At the Opening Ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin on February 10, he and his 4 × 10 km relay teammates (Maurilio De Zolt, Marco Albarello, and Giorgio Vanzetta) who won the gold at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, were among the last carriers of the Olympic torch before it was lit by fellow Italian cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo.
In May 2007, Fauner was named the head coach of the Italian national cross-country ski team, replacing his former ski-teammate Marco Albarello.

## Doping allegations

The Swedish investigative television show Uppdrag granskning claimed that Fauner had an exceptionally high hemoglobin level prior to a World Cup in Lahti in 1997. According to sources quoted in the documentary, Fauner had tested 19.2 g/dL. The test result was confirmed and signed by International Ski Federation (FIS) official Bengt-Erik Bengtsson. Currently the allowed limit to compete in official FIS competition is 17.0 g/dL. According to Bengt Saltin, former chairman of FIS medical committee, such an hemoglobin value is not possible to achieve without banned substances or blood doping.

## Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

### Olympic Games

* 5 medals – (1, gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
| Year | Age | 10 km | 15 km | Pursuit | 30 km | 50 km | Sprint | 4 × 10 km  relay |
| 1992 | 23 | 10 | — | 7 | — | — | — | Silver |
| 1994 | 25 | 8 | — | Bronze | 7 | 11 | — | Gold |
| 1998 | 29 | 10 | — | 4 | Bronze | 10 | — | Silver |
| 2002 | 33 | — | — | — | 51 | — | 14 | — |

### World Championships

* 7 medals – (1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze)
| Year | Age | 10 km | 15 km  classical | 15 km  freestyle | Pursuit | 30 km | 50 km | Sprint | 4 × 10 km  relay |
| 1989 | 20 | — | 27 | — | — | 28 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | 24 | 6 | — | — | Bronze | 13 | — | — | Silver |
| 1995 | 26 | 4 | — | — | Silver | 5 | Gold | — | Bronze |
| 1997 | 28 | 11 | — | — | 10 | 45 | 14 | — | Bronze |
| 1999 | 30 | 25 | — | — | 19 | 16 | DNF | — | Bronze |
| 2001 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | 7 | — |
| 2003 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | — |

### World Cup
#### Season standings

| Season | Age |
| Season | Age | Overall | Distance | Long Distance | Middle Distance | Sprint |
| 1988 | 19 | 53 | — | — | — | — |
| 1989 | 20 | NC | — | — | — | — |
| 1990 | 21 | 54 | — | — | — | — |
| 1991 | 22 | 43 | — | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 23 | 14 | — | — | — | — |
| 1993 | 24 | 6 | — | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 25 | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 26 | | — | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 27 | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 28 | 5 | — | 13 | — | |
| 1998 | 29 | 9 | — | 8 | — | 11 |
| 1999 | 30 | 24 | — | 26 | — | 22 |
| 2000 | 31 | 26 | — | 43 | 33 | 8 |
| 2001 | 32 | 25 | — | — | — | 11 |
| 2002 | 33 | 32 | — | — | — | 19 |
| 2003 | 34 | 95 | — | — | — | 45 |
| 2004 | 35 | 96 | 62 | — | — | — |
| 2005 | 36 | NC | — | — | — | NC |
| 2006 | 37 | 166 | 121 | — | — | — |

#### Individual podiums

* 3 victories
* 19 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
| 1 | 1991–92 | 8 December 1991 | Silver Star, Canada | 15 km Pursuit C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 2 | 1992–93 | 24 February 1993 | Falun, Sweden | 15 km Pursuit F | World Championships | 3rd |
| 3 | 1992–93 | 19 March 1993 | Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 4 | 1993–94 | 22 December 1993 | Toblach, Italy | 15 km Pursuit F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 5 | 1993–94 | 19 February 1994 | Lillehammer, Norway | 15 km Pursuit F | Olympic Games | 3rd |
| 6 | 1994–95 | 17 December 1994 | Sappada, Italy | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 7 | 1994–95 | 14 January 1995 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 8 | 1994–95 | 4 February 1995 | Falun, Sweden | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 9 | 1994–95 | 13 March 1995 | Thunder Bay, Canada | 15 km Pursuit F | World Championships | 2nd |
| 10 | 1994–95 | 19 March 1995 | Thunder Bay, Canada | 50 km Individual F | World Championships | 1st |
| 11 | 1995–96 | 29 November 1995 | Gällivare, Sweden | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 12 | 1995–96 | 9 December 1995 | Davos, Switzerland | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 13 | 1995–96 | 13 December 1995 | Brusson, Italy | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 14 | 1995–96 | 4 February 1996 | Reit im Winkl, Germany | 1.0 km Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 15 | 1996–97 | 11 January 1997 | Hakuba, Japan | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 16 | 1996–97 | 12 January 1997 | Hakuba, Japan | 15 km Pursuit F | World Cup | 1st |
| 17 | 1997–98 | 10 January 1998 | Ramsau, Austria | 30 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 18 | 1999–00 | 3 March 2000 | Lahti, Finland | 1.0 km Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 19 | 2000–01 | 14 January 2001 | Soldier Hollow, United States | 1.0 km Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd |

#### Team podiums

* 6 victories – (5 RL, 1 TS)
* 23 podiums – (21 RL, 2 TS)
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place | Teammate(s) |
| 1 | 1989–90 | 1 March 1990 | Lahti, Finland | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | De Zolt / Vanzetta / Runggaldier |
| 2 | 1991–92 | 18 February 1992 | Albertville, France | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | Olympic Games | 2nd | Pulie / Albarello / Vanzetta |
| 3 | 1992–93 | 26 February 1993 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 2nd | De Zolt / Albarello / Vanzetta |
| 4 | 1993–94 | 22 February 1994 | Lillehammer, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | Olympic Games | 1st | De Zolt / Albarello / Vanzetta |
| 5 | 1993–94 | 13 March 1994 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 2nd | Barco / De Zolt / Vanzetta |
| 6 | 1994–95 | 15 January 1995 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 3rd | Maj / Godioz / Albarello |
| 7 | 1994–95 | 17 March 1995 | Thunder Bay, Canada | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 3rd | Valbusa / Albarello / Maj |
| 8 | 1994–95 | 26 March 1995 | Sapporo, Japan | 4 x 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Albarello / Godioz / Maj |
| 9 | 1995–96 | 3 February 1996 | Seefeld, Austria | 12 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 1st | Valbusa |
| 10 | 1995–96 | 25 February 1996 | Trondheim, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Di Centa / Albarello / Valbusa |
| 11 | 1995–96 | 1 March 1996 | Lahti, Finland | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Albarello / Maj / Valbusa |
| 12 | 1996–97 | 24 November 1996 | Kiruna, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 2nd | Maj / Piller / Valbusa |
| 13 | 1996–97 | 15 December 1996 | Brusson, Italy | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 2nd | Pozzi / Valbusa / Godioz |
| 14 | 1996–97 | 28 February 1997 | Trondheim, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 3rd | Di Centa / Piller Cottrer / Valbusa |
| 15 | 1997–98 | 7 December 1997 | Santa Caterina, Italy | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 2nd | Maj / Piller Cottrer / De Zolt Ponte |
| 16 | 1997–98 | 11 January 1998 | Ramsau, Austria | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Maj / Valbusa / Piller Cottrer |
| 17 | 1998–99 | 29 November 1998 | Muonio, Finland | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 3rd | Maj / Piller Cottrer / Pozzi |
| 18 | 1998–99 | 10 January 1999 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Valbusa / Maj / Piller Cottrer |
| 19 | 1998–99 | 26 February 1999 | Ramsau, Austria | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 3rd | Di Centa / Valbusa / Maj |
| 20 | 1998–99 | 8 March 1999 | Vantaa, Finland | Team Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd | Piller Cottrer |
| 21 | 1998–99 | 21 March 1999 | Oslo, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 3rd | Di Centa / Maj / Valbusa |
| 22 | 1999–00 | 28 November 1999 | Kiruna, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 1st | Valbusa / Pozzi / Maj |
| 23 | 2000–01 | 18 March 2001 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Maj / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi |
Note: $^1$ Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.